Ambode Promises to Rescue Girls Kidnapped from their School

Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode said on Wednesday that his government will not spare any effort to ensure the safe release of the three young girls who are students of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School in the Ikorodu area of the state. The girls were kidnapped by a group of armed gang members on Monday evening.

The governor in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde, condemned the unfortunate incident and assured that the police and other security operatives have swung into action, with useful leads and with an unwavering determination to track down the perpetrators of the act.

“We have not been silent on this unfortunate development. In a delicate security matter of this nature, where young innocent people are involved and management of information demands utmost circumspect, we were convinced that swift and coordinated reaction, guided by intelligence reports on the part of the police, was a better and more sensitive approach to take, rather than a sensational, panic-stricken reaction,” Ambode said.

He said the State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni and the Assistant Inspector General of Police for the Lagos/Ogun Command were in the vicinity of the incident and are leading the entire coordinated effort involving every military apparatus.

“We believe in the capacity of the police to lead this rescue mission. I have had ceaseless briefings with them since the incident happened and God helping us, we shall spare no effort in securing the safe release of the girls and continue to secure the school and indeed every part of Lagos”.

Governor Ambode said the incident may not be unconnected with his recent visit to some parts of Ikorodu where he read the riot act to vandals and criminal gangs on the resolve of the state government to take the battle to their hideouts.

“We believe this is a case of evil fighting back. But Lagos will neither succumb to threats of lawlessness nor bow to terror”.

“Our resolve is very clear; we will assist the police and other security agencies in dealing decisively with this one unfortunate case and prevent future occurrences. We will deploy the resources at our disposal to safeguard every life and property within our care,” he said.

It is important to note the major reason why people are worried over this issue is because Ikorodu is a notorious area for finding human remains, especially the remains of women and girls, who have been used for rituals or beheaded in recent months.

On Thursday, the governor had to shut down Mile 12 Market, a famous market in Lagos, in order to quell riots and alleged ethnic tension between Hausa and Yoruba people in the market and surrounding areas, this certainly does not help the search for the young girls.